Kiss from a Rose
by MissOceanBlue
Summary: Her brother is going through the Selection, looking for The Someone, the one he wants to spend his life with. Meanwhile, Liri is trying to adjust to life with 35 girls that have suddenly barged into her home. But maybe, just maybe, Liri can find her own Someone through her brother's search for love. During the original Selection- OC
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"I am addressing you all when I say this, no one shall be seen in the first or second floor of the Palace till dinner. The Royal Family will take their dinner early in the dining room and then go right back to the third floor till tomorrow. We do not want the Selected to see anyone from The Royal Family or anyone they could recognize. This includes Chief Advisers, reporters; really, anyone that is shown on the Report. Tomorrow, Maxon will meet the girls. This will take place in the Great Room, so it will be off bounds for the morning. King Clarkson, Queen Amberly and Princess Liri will take breakfast in the dining room per usual, joined by the Selected and Prince Maxon." I shifted in my seat. Though I was wearing pants today, the gray fabric was itchy and uncomfortable, hardly better then the dress I had refused to in the morning. We were seated in one of the meeting rooms on the first floor of the Palace, where budget meetings and others of the sort usually took place. There was a large wooden table in the middle of it and we were seated around it, my father at his respectable place at the head of the table, my mother next to him, both their seats slightly higher than the rest, Maxon on their one side and I on the other. I was sure we looked intimidating that way, The Royal Family at the head of the table, all straight backs and prominent frowns. As the Chief Adviser of Public Opinion rambled on about the Report that would be broadcast today and showed a small preview, I tried to imagine what it would be like later today. 35 girls, entering the Palace, my home, for who knew how long. They would eat, sleep, learn, live here. I would probably run into them eventually. Would they be excited to meet me? Would they hug me? Would they address me at all? I felt a tingle of nerves but didn't understand it's source. These girls weren't coming for me. I glanced over at Maxon and saw that his eyes were frozen to Silvia, who was now speaking about the Selected's first lesson tomorrow. His face was blank and he looked pale, or rather, paler than usual. I felt a pang of pity for him, glad I wasn't in his position. I could only imagine his nerves, excitement, dread, and whatever else he was feeling only piling on all the other things that occupied his mind as he worked along side my father, getting ready to replace him. I would have to speak to him later, before the girls arrived. I imagined we wouldn't have much time to talk in the next few days so I would have catch him now, before the chaos began.

After an hour of explaining how we were to address the girls, when we should speak to them and when remain silent, the meeting was finally dismissed. The Advisers waited till we left the room and then exited after us. We were all supposed to go up to our rooms and not leave the third floor till 17:00, but I desperately wanted to talk to Maxon and knew he would disappear into his room the second he arrived there. "Max! Hey, Max!" I called out to him, taking care to not quicken my pace too much. It was improper to run or come close to it in the Palace, according to Silvia, who lectured Maxon and I every time we used to hurry down the stairs for dinner or chase each other around when we were younger. "Hm?" Maxon asked as he turned around. "That's it, the girls aren't even here yet and you've already forgotten about the most important one?" I teased him. I caught up with him and we began walking side by side, emerging at the Entrance Hall and heading up the stairs. "What can I say, sis? I'm getting old and forgetful," he replied as he put my arm around me in brotherly fashion. "Hey, you nervous? You were really out of it at that meeting," I asked him. "Nervous? Nah. 35 girls coming to compete for my hand? I've been through worse."

"Right, I forgot," I played along. We walked down the main corridor of the third floor and stopped in front of our rooms. They were right across from each other, and the Princess Suite was right next Maxon's. I imagined someone living there, her and Maxon's rooms on one side while mine was on the other. My brother spending time with her, talking with her, confiding in her. I felt a sting of jealousy. I was so used to Maxon being there for me all the time, to me being the person he trusted most. One of those girls would come and take that away from me. I tried to clear my head of the thought. "Come inside for a second." Maxon's face fell. "Liri, I have work and Father's expecting me to read two chapters from the Budgeting and Savings book by nightfall. The text there is tiny and it's thirty pages each." I pouted and her relented. I didn't want to feel the desire to be the only girl in his life. He worked so hard, he deserved to be happy and find someone he loved. Too bad I was so selfish. I opened the door and we entered my room. Mara immediately curtsied. I had another personal maid, Suzie, but she had been taken to help with the preparations for the Selection. Mara waited for me to address her and I did. "Hello, Mara." She rose and immediately asked: "Can I get you anything, Your Highness?"

"Um, just water please," I answered. Maxon nudged me. "A-And chocolate chip cookies, if there are any in the kitchen." Mara gave a knowing smile as she left the room. It was a well-known fact that the Royal Family's two siblings had a mild obsession with chocolate chip cookies. I flopped back on my bed as Maxon walked around, examining things and fumbling with them. My room was all dove blues and grays. The furniture was mostly dark wood or white wood. My large glass windows were always open, letting in sunlight and warm air. I loved my room, everything about it gave such a relaxing aura, which was much needed in the hectic atmosphere at the Palace. And dove blue, ah, what a gorgeous color. It reminded me of my mother in a distinctive sort of way. Gentle and sophisticated. Mara came bustling back with a pitcher of water, two glasses, a plate of butter cookies and an apologetic "They were too busy." I told her it was fine and sent her away. Maxon finally flopped down beside me, his mouth full of cookie crumbs. "Don't get them on my bed," I warned him, though I knew Mara or Suzie would clean them the second the took notice of them. "I love your room, you know? I think even more than I love mine," he said thoughtfully. Even he loved my room. "Max, how are you? I mean, with this whole Selection thing?"

"I-I'm really nervous. I'm so nervous, I can't think about anything else. I kind of want to not go through with it. I mean, what if I make a fool out of myself? I don't know how to date. What if they laugh at me behind my back and everybody knows except me?" We were quiet for a moment. "They're coming because they want to win your hand. They want you. You're probably intimidating to them. They're probably scared of you." I didn't know if what I was saying was helping him or making it worse. "Should I be intimidating to them? I mean, I'm trying to date them, I don't think I should seem intimidating." The thought of cookies was too hard to pass up and I sat up and reached for the plate. "I'm not saying that you should be this person they fear. I'm just saying, I don't think you'd be someone they gossip about. Well, except for stuff like 'OMG, Maxon kissed me yesterday! He's so dreamy and sexy, I tingle when I think about him.'" He hit me with a pillow. Maxon's face was red. "You think they'll actually say stuff like that? God, I can't imagine it." I chuckled. Maxon was such a kid when it came to that kind of stuff. "Ugh, I should probably go back to my room. I have to finish some stuff before the Selected get here." I felt heavy disappointment fill my mind but tried not to show it. "Oh well, see you at dinner." I felt sad for some reason, like this was the last time we were going to have something like this, just him and I. He was almost out the door when I stopped him. "Hey, Max." He turned around. _Don't forget about me. _"Good luck." He tilted his head. "I'm not meeting them today, you know," he said. "With the chapters. From the Budgeting and Savings book." His mouth curled into a smile. "Thanks," and with that, he left. I sat on my bed, feeling hollowed out. The itchy fabric of my pants reminded me of it's existence and I called Mara to help me change. It wasn't that I needed help changing, I could do that very well by myself, but Mara knew my closet better than I did, and I only made a mess when I tried to understand her and Suzie's intricate clothing arrangement. "Yes, Your Highness?" she asked once she rose from her curtsy. "These pants are impossible, Mara. They're so itchy." Mara smirked. "Yes, well, I told you in the morning that you should wear the dress and you insisted on the pants." Maids weren't supposed to speak like that to The Royal Family, much less smirk at them, but Mara, Suzie and I were incredibly close. They were five years older than I, but once you hit twenty, those years didn't matter. They were the only girls my age I knew, and we were together for hours a day. Suzie was always the more formal one, but she too crossed the line between maid and friend. "But today isn't a dress kind of day," I informed her. Mara began rummaging in my closet room while I finished the last of the butter cookies. Mara and Suzie really had to start bringing me less cookies, they weren't doing me any good. "Here, try these," Mara said as she emerged from the closet room and handed me dark blue fabric. I slipped off the gray pants and sighed with content. The blue pants were perfect, not too tight and with a tie-on belt that let me tuck my white blouse into my pants. Mara came to fumble with my shirt, tucking parts in and pulling parts out until she was satisfied. I looked in the mirror and smoothed some invisible creases off my pants. My blond hair was swept back into a low ponytail with some hairs framing my face that were supposed to look effortless and accidental but had taken Suzie a few tries to perfect. "Thanks, Mara," I said. "I have to go, I'm meeting Mother to work."

"Hi, Mom," I said as I entered the the small sitting room where we had planned to meet. I only called her Mom when it was just us or only the close family, otherwise it was Mother, which sounded formal and awkward but I couldn't call her Mom in public. "Hi Liri,"she replied, sounding tired. We usually worked in the Women's Room but it was occupied by the Selection at the moment. I went to sit next to her on the couch. This room was like a much smaller version of the Women's Room but without a t.v.. There was a small glass table in front of us, where Mom had placed our papers. "How's your day going, honey?" she asked, smoothing my ponytail. "Fine, Mom. How's yours? You sound tired." She gave me a small smile. "Oh, I'm fine. It's just the Selection and the war, it has us all on edge." She looked at me for a moment and then straightened up. "We just have to bear through it, right? We have work to do." That's how she was, my mother. She didn't let her personal life get in the way of her work. She worked for the people, and she was devoted to it. It was something I would never be able to do. "The construction is beginning in a week, I called them yesterday and they gave the final confirmation." I nodded my head and reached for the black folder with the white crest of Illéa printed on the front. I opened it and pulled out a list of the best artists in Illéa. Mom and I were planning an art museum, the first in the country. There were so many old paintings lying in the Palace, ones we didn't hang or didn't even remember owing. And there were many talented fives out there that would gladly sell their art. It was something we could show off when people came to visit The Royal Family, and it could even be like charity we were doing for the fives, giving them an opportunity to show their art and receive money in return. We had been working on it for about a month now, but it was still at the beginning stages. Now that the construction company had confirmed the beginning of construction in one week, we had to start contacting the artists themselves. "The last one we contacted was Barbara James, and she wants to sell three pieces," I informed her. "She will have to come here with the pieces," Mom said, making a note on the list. "We'll call her and have a car pick her up, she won't have one of her own as a five." We continued working, contacting artists and working on the budget for the museum.

I could hear noises from the first floor, many voices overlapping and the wheels of racks on the floor and the sound of hair dryers. It seemed like the Selected were getting a full fledged makeover down there, all to impress, or rather, seduce my brother. I wondered if it was weird to them, getting pampered and washed like I was used to getting every day. I wanted to go down and see it all in motion. It was fascinating to me for some reason, all these girls from the country, used to a completely different lifestyle than mine. I stood at the top of the staircase, trying to sneak a peek at the bustle going on below me. I decided to just go down a few steps to get a better view. I had to be careful. If one of the girls saw me in this state, peeking down at them like a child, it would be the end of me. I crept down and finally got a good view of the Entrance Hall. People were running from place to place with shampoo, makeup, dresses, racks of clothing, lotions, every kind of beauty product I could imagine. At first, I couldn't see any of the Selected, or at least not any girl that looked like one, but then the door to the Palace opened and a women ushered a group of girls inside. They were gorgeous, all smooth skin and skinny and large eyes. It was satisfying to look at them, each one prettier than the next. It was going to be a hard few months. It wasn't that I found myself ugly. I liked my face, except for the light brown birthmark under my left eye. My hair was nice, blonde and silky, I liked to imagine. It was my body that was more problematic. I wasn't large, but I wasn't really skinny either. My stomach wasn't perfectly flat and my arms were at least bigger than my mother's, which wasn't really saying much because my mom was like a swan, all long neck and skinny arms. It wasn't such a big deal, I wasn't so big that people talked about it, I just wasn't my mother. And I wasn't the Selected. I shook my head and went back to my room. I couldn't waste my time criticizing my body, I had dinner to attend.


	2. Chapter 2

**a/n: Hi! I know this is a short chapter, there will be longer ones in the future, I promise ;) **

Chapter 2

Mom and I entered the dining room together. For some reason, I was expecting Maxon and the Selected to be there already and had been bracing myself, but the room we entered was empty except for my father and some camera guys, ready to film the first breakfast of the Selection. Father rose and gave Mom a quick kiss and me a small hug before settling back at our table. Usually, there was only one long table positioned in the dining room. Now, that table had been pushed back and there were two more tables on either side of it, creating a U shape. My father was sitting in the middle of the usual table, facing the open space of the U. "Here Liri, come sit next to me," Mom said, as she settled next to Father. I settled next to her and grabbed a slice of bread from the basket, mostly to have something to do while we waited for everyone. I didn't know why I was so nervous and excited, no one would pay attention to me. Finally, the oak doors opened slowly and a crowd of girls cautiously walked in. It was a swarm of colorful day dresses, lace, braids and twinkling earrings. My eyes could hardly keep up with it all. They all found their seats but hardly had time to sit down before Silvia came rushing in after them. She looked slightly panicked but kept her composure as usual. "Ladies, I'm afraid we didn't get this far," she said. "Whenever you enter a room where anybody from The Royal Family is present, or if they should enter a room you are in, the proper thing to do is curtsy. Then, when you are addressed, you may rise and take your seat. All together, shall we?" They all rose and curtsied in our direction. I plastered a small smile on my face as the cameras turned toward us to catch our reaction. I didn't want to seem stern as if I was judging the girls, it was obvious they simply hadn't known the proper protocol. Mom was the one who addressed them. "Welcome, girls. Please take your seats, and welcome to the palace. We're pleased to have you." They all gave a small smile, similar to my own, and sat back in their seats. As the servers brought in our plates, I took the time to study them. I hadn't been able to look at them closely yesterday, I had only gotten a glimpse of a few of them. Today I noticed that though they were all strikingly beautiful, they were very different-looking. Some had a gentle beauty, with shining eyes and pale skin. Others were exotic looking, tanned with glowing white teeth. Some were striking in a fierce way, with curvy bodies and dramatic hair. It made me wonder, who decided these girls were good-looking and others were not? And how was it that I found each and every one of them gorgeous, when there was hardly anything similar about them? Father blessed the food and we began eating. The selected all looked amazed by the food. It struck me funny. I knew they came from different backgrounds than mine and didn't have access to many of the things I was used to having, but had they really never had pancakes before? Maxon stepped in to the dining room and all the selected immediately stopped eating. "Please don't rise, ladies. Enjoy your breakfast," he said with an easy smile as he bent down to give me a hug. He kissed my mother on the cheek and gave Father a pat on the back before settling to his left. Everybody continued eating and the camera guys finally left, satisfied after having filmed the man of the hour. "Lady America?" Maxon's voice rang out, disturbing everyone from their daze. A girl with flaming red hair looked up from her plate in surprise, her mouth full of food. She chewed with a slightly pained expression before answering him. "Yes, Your Majesty?" Her eyes were a startling fierce blue. "How are you enjoying the food?" Maxon asked. Somehow, I could hear the smile on his lips. "It's excellent, Your Majesty. This strawberry tart... well, I have a sister who loves sweets more than I do. I think she'd cry if she tasted this. It's perfect." That was taking it a bit far, wasn't it? Though, I had to admit, the palace kitchen was known for it's exceeding talent for desserts. "Do you really think she would cry?" Maxon asked. The girl, America, was serious when she replied. "Yes, actually, I do. She doesn't have much of a filter when it comes to her emotions." She played with her necklace while talking, probably out of nervousness. "Would you wager money on it?" .

I smiled as I looked at Maxon and back at her. It was amusing, seeing him like this. I could suddenly see the charm that probably brought these girls here. "If I had any to bet, I certainly would," America said, her face breaking into a smile. "What would you be willing to barter instead? You seem to be very good at striking deals." The other girls seemed to be painfully aware that the Prince was flirting with someone right before their eyes. It made me pity them. It surely wasn't easy, feeling this constant competition. "Well, what do you want?" America asked. "What do _you_ want?" America seemed to consider the question. "If she cries, I want to wear pants for a week." I laughed softly with the others. I hadn't realized the selected were required to wear dresses. I caught a glimpse of Mom. She looked very much amused and she gave America a knowing smile. I suddenly realized that all of this wasn't so foreign to her, she had been one of these girls once. It made me feel distant, for some reason. As if the sharing of this experience was a joke I wasn't in on. "Done," Maxon said. "And if she doesn't, you owe me a walk around the grounds tomorrow afternoon." America smirked. She was very attractive; I completely understood why Maxon had chosen her as his first date. "You drive a hard bargain, sir, but I accept," she said. As Maxon discussed the matter with one of the butlers, I watched as the girls raised their eyebrows and whispered with each other. They obviously hadn't realized someone would get time alone with Maxon so early in the competition. I hadn't realized it either, I thought they would do things in a group in the beginning, just to let Maxon see more of them before deciding who to meet one-on-one first. "You should send a note with it, and tell your family you're safe. In fact, you all should. After breakfast, write a letter to your families, and we'll make sure they receive them today," Maxon said and mouths curled into smiles as the girls realized Maxon was looking at them. As we exited the dining room, I was struck by a peculiar thought. It was almost as if I was part of the Selection myself. No, I wasn't fighting for Maxon's heart, but in a way, I was. The selected were fighting to enter Maxon's heart, I was fighting to remain there. It was a stupid thought, and I quickly brushed it away


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Saturday morning began with a jittery feeling in my stomach. I would meet the selected today. Truthfully, it was pitiful that I was nervous to meet them. I was the princess for God's sake, I had once farted in the lap of the Queen of Italy. Since I could think of nothing that would calm my nerves, I rang for my maids and got out of bed. Mara and Suzie curtsied as they entered my chambers. "Mornin'," I said sleepily and they rose from their curtsy. "Good morning, Your Majesty," Mara said as she placed a tray of tea and biscuits on my bedside table. "Bath?" Suzie asked. "Mm-hm," I answered, giving her a grateful smile. I sipped my tea as I waited for them to prepare my bath. The Selection had gotten me thinking about how I was so used to all these things that were privileges to other people, like having my maids prepare me a bath every morning and being able to ring for cookies whenever I wanted them. I wanted to start being more thankful for these things, not everyone could enjoy them. "Your Majesty?" I heard Suzie's voice call. "Yes?"

"Patchouli or lily of the valley?" For some unfathomable reason, this was a question I seriously considered every day. It wasn't as if it mattered much, I liked both smells the same and no one ever noticed which one I bathed in, but I still got stuck on it every morning. "Um, lily of the valley. Wait! No no, it's definitely a patchouli day." I could hear Suzie chuckle as she uncapped the soap bottle. I walked in the bathroom and Mara came to help me undress. I piled my hair on top of my head and stepped into the bath.

"Dress or pants?" Mara asked as I walked out of the bathroom, wearing a robe. Before I could answer, Suzie stepped in. "I recommend a dress. You'll be meeting all those girls, you don't want to feel under-dressed." I wanted to disagree with her that wearing pants was not necessarily under-dressing, but, to be honest, she was right; I would feel less confident wearing pants when they were all wearing dresses. "Alright," I agreed and they began rummaging in my closet room. Mara picked out a nice dark blue sheath dress and Suzie did my hair: a loose french braid that ended at my neck and was tied into a regular ponytail. Finally, I was ready to go. Mom and I had agreed that I come to her chambers before we went to the Women's Room like I did many times on Saturdays. I knocked on her door and her maid let me in. Mom was seated on her vanity chair as Lane, one of her maids, applied her makeup. "Liri! Come in, dear." Mom's room was styled pale yellow, with white wooden furniture. She almost always had some kind of plant in her room. Today it was lilacs, sitting in a small bottle on her bedside table and I could see some peeking from inside her bathroom as well. She shooed her maids away once they finished her makeup and caught me in an embrace. The scent of vanilla drifted in my nose.

"You look lovely, Suzie really works miracles with your hair every time," she said with a smile. "Thanks," I replied. "I want to speak with you before we head down," she said as she perched on her bed. She was wearing a vintage pink dress with lace around the collar. My mom always managed to look graceful and feminine. "Now, as you know, the selected will be there today. We need to talk to them a bit, make them feel at ease," she said. "Of course, we mustn't pay attention to one girl more than to another. I'm not saying you have to speak to all the girls, but try to converse with at least a few of them, and keep everyone that is listening in on the conversation. They don't need more competition than they already have." I nodded. "Seem eager but don't overdo it, and don't seem bored. Well, you know all this already, it's not your first time greeting guests," Mom said as she brushed my hair away from my face. "I think we're ready," she said to no one in particular and stood. Before we left, she grabbed a small bottle from her vanity and rubbed some vanilla extract behind both my ears. "Mom! I used patchouli soap today. I'll smell weird!" She laughed at my outburst. "Don't worry, this vanilla extract is much better than all your soaps and perfumes. It lasts all day long." I made a face at her. The truth was, she did this every time I came into her room. It was the only thing she used. I never really understood why, she had a great assortment of perfumes and oils to choose from. I think it reminded her of her childhood, when vanilla extract was all she had.

We entered the room and twenty something heads turned in our direction. They all eagerly stood up and curtsied. "Hello, Ladies. Don't let us disturb you, please resume whatever you were doing," Mom said kindly. I settled at one of the wine red couch chairs that were seated around a small glass table and picked up the book I always left here. Usually, Mom and I worked on the museum in the Women's Room or whatever else it was we were working on at the time, but today we decided it would be better to sit and read or look at magazines, just to let the selected feel welcome to approach us. I hardly finished a passage of my book before I saw someone sit next to me out of the corner of my eye. I put the book down and and peered at the person. It was one of the selected. A prickle of recognition tickled my brain. "Hello, Your Majesty," she said with a warm smile. "Hi," I said, mimicking her expression. "I'm sorry, but I'm mot really familiar with your names."

Her smile brightened. "I'm Celeste Newsome." I knew that name. She laughed at my visibly confused face. "I'm a model."

"Oh! Right! Yeah, yeah, I've seen you at Fashion Week. You're amazing."

"Thanks! But I can't take all the credit. You're truly an inspiration. When I see you on the cover of magazines, you're just so fierce!" My smile widened. I opened my mouth to ask her a question and then realized that two other girls had sat down next to us. Before I could speak they greeted me anxiously. "Hi, Your Majesty! I'm Bariel!"

"I'm Tuesday!"

I tried to seem gracious. "Hello Bariel, Tuesday."

"So, what are you guys talking about?" Tuesday asked with a huge grin. I couldn't help but pity her. It was obvious the jealousy was playing with her mind. She could hardly keep herself together. "Oh, just modeling and things," Celeste replied with a smile. I could see the scorn on Tuesday's face. "But I'll leave now, you're obviously very eager to speak with the princess." She sent me another smile before getting up and leaving to talk with some other girls. "The palace is beautiful!" Bariel informed me. "I think so too. How are you finding things here?" I asked them.

"Oh, really great! The rooms are so pretty and everyone is so nice," she answered. "I'm so happy you-" I stopped as the sound of a slap filled the air followed by gasps. I turned as one of the girls sighed and said: "Oh, Anna, no." A girl with silky honey colored hair, Anna, I guessed it was, turned bright red as she stood frozen in her place. Celeste was sitting on the chair next to her, face equally red, with a hand pressed to her cheek. The girl standing next to Anna began softly crying as Celeste got up from her chair, hand still pressed to her cheek, hissed something to the stunned Anna, and angrily left. Anna put her hand over her mouth as tears trickled down her cheeks and rushed out of the room, the crying girl at her heels. There was a moment of silence before vicious whispering erupted as every girl turned to the others next to her. Some girls were holding back laughter. "Excuse me," I said to Bariel and Tuesday as I got up and headed towards my mother. She was sitting with a concerned expression as she surveyed the girls. "Should one of us go after her?" I asked in a low voice as I settled next to her. "No, that would do no good to either of them. We shouldn't interfere with their drama." I was shocked these girls would actually assault each other. It seemed so unlikely that they would have the nerve. Maybe it was different outside the palace. Maybe people got into fights all the time. "That Celeste really is something, isn't she?" Mom whispered to me. "Celeste?" I asked incredulously. "You realize she was the one that got slapped? I spoke with her, she seems very sweet." Mom's eyes widened in disbelief. "Sweet? Don't let those smiles fool you. I saw how she is with other girls. She knows how to play with your mind, always knows exactly what she's doing. I've seen enough girls like her to pick them out immediately." I was still doubtful. Celeste was the most normal girl I had spoken with today. But maybe I simply wasn't knowledgeable enough about girl behavior. I had never spent much time with groups of girls.

After lunch, we returned to the Women's room, though I'd really had enough of it for one day. Things were a bit more peaceful, though. Some of the girls hadn't come back after lunch. I guessed many of them had gone to find out what had happened with Celeste and Anna, or maybe some of them needed just a break from it all. Regardless, the atmosphere was much more calm and this time I managed to get through at least three pages before I was interrupted. "Your Majesty?" I tried to hide my irritability at being interrupted and curled my mouth into a small smile as I place my book on the table. "Sorry to interrupt, we just wanted to introduce ourselves, I'm Kriss and this is Elise." "Great to meet you. Are you enjoying your time at the palace so far?" I asked. "Oh yes, very much. The grounds are so beautiful and the food is just..." Kriss closed her eyes and sighed in contempt. Elise and I giggled. Kriss was one of the exotic looking girls, with long brown hair and natural looking highlights. She had a small beauty spot under her left eye that somehow added to her beauty. Elise was pale with silky black hair and large black eyes that when she smiled, crinkled prettily and gave her a warm air. "How about you?" I turned to Elise. "The palace is truly wonderful, and so are all my maids and just... everyone."

"I'm glad you're enjoying it. I'm mostly used to it all, but the food is great, especially the desserts." I smiled at Kriss. "And don't tell anyone I told you this, but the chocolate chip cookies..." I mimicked Kriss's sigh and she smiled brightly. "I'll be sure to ask for them," she said. Before long I was surrounded by six girls, all chatting and telling me about their lives and families. And it was nice just sitting there, listening to their stories and laughing along with everyone. I felt, for just an hour or so, that I was a part of something. That I belonged somewhere. And maybe it was stupid, because I knew the minute we would leave the room they would each return to their own friends (if they'd made any yet, which I was beginning to think as an impossible task with some of the girls here) and to the tension of the competition. But for a little while, it was really nice.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/n: I'm not exactly following The Selection's timeline, cause I feel it doesn't exactly serve my story. I hope it doesn't create any confusion. Anyway, thank you to anyone who's reading this story, I hope you enjoy it. Please review to tell me what you like and if you have any criticism, I'd be happy to hear it as well.**

Chapter 4

"This is the women's room, where the Queen and Princess are waiting for you," a maid said as the mahogany doors creaked open and she walked in followed by a young woman- probably in her late twenties- with cropped brown hair and hazel eyes. They both sank into a curtsy, the woman going down a bit deeper than necessary, and mother and I smiled respectfully. "Welcome, Barbara," Mom said, nodding at the maid as acknowledgment. They both rose. "Shall I bring anything, Your Majesty?" the maid inquired. "Tea please, Shelley." Mother made it a goal to know the names of every maid and butler in the palace. Once, long ago, I had been inspired by this plan of her's and was determined to accomplish it myself, but I didn't have the patience to remember all the names and had soon forgotten about it. Shelley curtsied and hurried out of the room. "Come sit with us, Barbara," Mom said hospitably. "No need to stand there and wait." Barbara managed a small smile and cautiously neared the couch we were seated at. It was the space we usually worked at, a glass table in the center of the room surrounded by a white couch and an armchair. I motioned for Barbara to sit at the armchair and she hesitantly settled down, as if scared the chair would break under her body. "How was the ride here? Was the car alright?" Mom asked. "Oh, it was great," Barbara replied, nodding. Mom continued to make small talk and I joined in here and there, mostly focused on studying the painter. She was a bit pale and small freckles sprinkled her nose and cheeks. Her suede blazer and skirt were slightly big on her. It made me wonder if they were even her's or if she'd borrowed it from someone, possibly from a higher caste. Shelley came back with a tray bearing tea and fruit. "Thank you, Shelley. You may go," Mom said, taking the tray from her hands and setting it carefully on the table. She picked up a glass and sipped daintly, nodding at Barbara to take one as well. Barbara did and eyed the colorful fruit out of the corner of her eye. I took a bite of a raspberry as an attempt to make her more comfortable but she determinedly refused.

"Well, would you like to show us the paintings?" Mom asked after awhile. "Yes, of course," Barbara replied, fumbling with her satchel. Out of it she produced two medium-sized paintings and one large one and set them against the back of her chair. "Uh... Well, this is the first one," Barbara presented awkwardly. She picked up the first painting, brushed it with her hands and then turned it over. It was a warm color acrylic painting, a splash of red, orange and yellow. The face of a woman, her features vaguely drawn, and her hand caressing a child's face. There were two parts of the painting that were a cold color, the woman's blue earring and likewise blue flower in her hair. Both the mother and the baby's eyes were closed, drawn only by slightly curved lines. "Hmm..." Mother muttered, standing and walking over to Barbara. "May I?"

"Of course," Barbara replied, eager to please. She handed the painting over and Mom peered at it close. "Yes, it's very nice. Liri, come, dear." I stood and straightened my black blazer. I neared Mom and she gave me the painting, her holding one half and I the other. "Look at the strokes, they're just as we've studied," she instructed me. I looked in closer. We'd done some research before beginning our project, therefore I had some vague notion of textures and methods and whatnot. It _was _"very nice", as my mom had described it, yet before I could voice my agreement a guard threw the door open. "Your Majesty, Your Highness, we are under attack. Please come with me," he instructed in an urgent voice. Barbara look stricken and confused. The guard looked at her and then at Mom with a questioning glance. Mother looked at me, as if testing me. All this happened fast, but it felt like we were testing our limits. "She is a guest of the Royal Family. Protocol demands she come with us," I said, somewhat uncertainly. The guard nodded and gestured for us to follow him. As we hurried out of the room, I thought I could decipher a look of pride on Mom's face, but it could have just been my imagination. Outside guards and maids were running around, each with there own destination and purpose. The guard led us to the safe room in the basement. Maxon and Father were already there, as were most of the selected. Mom and I went to join the rest of our small family, and Barbara went to sit in one of the chairs in the corner of the room. I settled next to Maxon as Mom went to converse quietly with Father. "The selected are taking it bad," he observed quietly, his eyes scanning the room. I looked around as well and saw that most of the girls were crying softly or staring off into the distance. "They're not used to it," I reminded him. "They hardly know what's going on." Maxon sighed. "I know," he said.

Though I had gone through this quite a few times already, there was still that fear stirring in my chest. These were the southern rebels, Father had informed me. They attacked only a few times a year, and they had one clear intention, and that was to assassinate us. We had all survived their attacks many times, but there was always that little trickle of doubt that asked _what if this time..._

After about an hour and a half, I became restless. I hadn't brought anything with me to pass the time and the anxiety was forcing me to get up and _do something_. Maxon was still speaking with each of the girls and I decided I might as well do the same. The had all looked at least a little calmer when he talked to them, and though I knew I probably wouldn't have the same effect, I still figured they at least wouldn't try to push me away. I got up from my chair and tried to discreetly wake my numbed butt. I passed by Barbara, who had fallen asleep in her isolated corner by the room and a number of selected girls who had also managed to fall asleep despite their prior anxiety. Finally, I came by some girls that I could talk to. They were huddled on the floor, covered in some blankets and leaning against each other. It was endearing, and for a moment I wished I had a group of friends like them that I could just hang out with whenever I pleased. The want created a bitter feeling in my chest and I pushed it away. I was fine with my life as it was. I leaned down and sat across from them, crossing my legs and tucking hair behind my ears. "You girls okay?" I asked. Two of them nodded and gave me faint smiles, but one was trying to cover her face and hide it in her blanket. From what I could see, she had black silky hair and pale skin. I sent a concerned face to the two girls and they shrugged their shoulders and sighed as if saying, _we've already tried everything._ "Hey, you okay?" I asked gently. The girl sniffed and wiped her eyes, her face still hidden in the blanket. I caught a small glimpse of her face and immediately recognized her. "Elise. Listen, we're safe here, I promise. The guards out there are incredibly experienced, they've gone through this hundreds of time and know exactly what to do." Then, thinking maybe it would help if I made her laugh, "And maybe it's best we stay here a few hours. The cooks have really been outdoing themselves since you girls came, I feel like I'm about to get a stroke after every meal." It was possibly the lousiest joke I could have thought of, but it raised a small smile on her face and a chuckle from the other two. I stayed and talked with them for a few more minutes and then excused myself to go speak with some of the others.

After getting to know some other girls, I came across another girl I recognized. "Kriss, right?" I asked as I sat down next to her on the floor. "Princess Liri, right?" I laughed. She was also wrapped up in a blanket, though it was mostly just resting on her lap. "How are you doing?" I asked her, as I'd asked the others. Somehow, I had managed to ask it in a different order every time, something I was oddly proud of. Mom always said we shouldn't make people feel like they were just another errand, even if we'd said or asked the same thing a million times. "Um, fine , I guess. I mean, it's terrifying, but I know the guards know what to do when this kind of thing happens," Kriss replied. She was the first I'd heard speaking so calmly about it. "Yes, exactly. We have to be careful, but at the end of the day they've got the situation under control," I said. She nodded. "I just want it to be over already. I was supposed to have a date with Prince Maxon today," she said with a pout. I smiled sympathetically, a bit disappointed that the conversation had reached this topic so quickly. It seemed to be happening faster and faster these days. I felt Kriss studying me and it made me feel itchy. I was usually used to this kind of attention, but something about the authentic way she was doing it made me uncomfortable. "I hope you don't mind me asking, but does it bother you, all the attention he's getting?" The straight-forwardness of the question caught me by surprise. "I'm obviously very happy for him," I answered, as I've answered many times on interviews. "He's my brother, and I think he deserves this. He's been working very hard all his life." The corner of her mouth turned up. "I've seen you in interviews, you always answer something of the sort. I thought after all this time we've been friends, after all we've been through together, you'd trust me more than that," she said, her eyebrows scrunched together in a victimized matter. "I'm sorry Kriss, I just don't think you're qualified enough to be that kind of person for me," I replied solemnly. For a second I feared I had taken it too far, that it was impolite of me to reply like that what with my role, but the fear quickly dissolved as she laughed and gave me a sly smile. "I'll get it out of you one day, Princess, I'm sure I will."

"Well, if you're sure, I guess you'll do it somehow," I said, mimicking her smirk. I tried to play if off as if I wasn't intimidated by her, but I was. She was so confident, even though I should have been the confident one. "Well, I better get back to it, but it was nice talking to you," I said, a bit too formal. "Yeah, you too," Kriss replied. As I walked off to talk to another small group of girls, I realized maybe I could make friends during this whole process. A group of friends was something that had been missing in my life for awhile, and I felt like this was the perfect opportunity. Till now I had treated the selected like girls I had to entertain now and then, but maybe I could make something more out of it. I decided I would try to be more friendly with them from now on, maybe even try to open up a bit. The idea created a warm feeling in my stomach. I liked having a plan, something personal to focus on.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Princess Liri?" I cracked open the eye that Mara wasn't busy lining with a black pen. "His Majesty wishes to see you in his corridors," a guard informed me, standing just a step outside the door frame. I watched him from his reflection in the mirror, "Alone?" I asked. "No, Her Majesty and Prince Maxon are requested as well." I guiltily pushed my tiny surge of relief away. "All right, thank you," I said, as Mara gestured for me to close my eye.

I knocked on the huge wooden doors to Father's office and a guard opened if for me. "Liri?" Father's deep voice called from inside. I stepped inside and found him seated behind his desk, thumbing through a black binder, similar to the one Mom and I shared for our museum work. "Hi Dad," I said, standing at the entrance to his office. I didn't usually refer to him as Dad, but really, I didn't usually refer to him at all. Mom saw him because they worked together, and so did Maxon, but I hardly ever got to see him or spend time with him. Still, calling him "Father" to his face was slightly ridiculous, so I compromised by calling him "Dad" to his face -on the occasional times I addressed him- and Father whenever else. "Come sit, your mother and Maxon will be here any second," he said, looking at me for a moment before focusing back on his binder. I went to sit at a wine red couch chair that was clustered around a mahogany coffee table near the window. I looked around, trying to remember the last time I had been here. The room was dark, like many others in the palace. The color scheme varied between red and dark mahogany. There were many carpets on the floor, and some on the wall as well. One of the few things my father and I shared was our love for carpets. Persian carpets, Turkish carpets, Spanish carpets- you name it. Designers all over the world sent us magazines, urging us to buy their vintage rugs, claiming they went back thousands of years. My father and I loved to spill over those magazines, sometimes secretly ordering a few. My mother despised them. She didn't understand what the big deal was, and she said they got dusty. I liked to point out that we had 10 staff members that their sole job was sweeping the floor and she liked to point out that our job wasn't to make it harder for them. We hardly ever got to to do that anymore, look at magazines. We were both much busier now-a-days. The sad part was, I don't think our slightly busier schedules was what stopped us from doing it. "Ah, Amber, Maxon," Father said, making me jump a little. He got up from behind his desk and Mom went and gave him a short kiss. He enveloped his hands around her and Maxon and I made faces and turned around. No matter what anyone said about them, no one could say they didn't love one another. "Good morning," Mom said, brushing my hair lightly as she sat on the chair next to me. "Gorgeous hair, as usual." Suzie had piled it in a neat low bun and added an oriental hair stick we had gotten as a present from the Royal Family in New Asia, before the war began. Maxon came to sit in another chair around the table and Father perched on Mom's armrest, looking amusingly feminine that way. "I've invited Andrew to join us, he should be here any moment. I want to discuss some safety topics," he said. Andrew was the head safety adviser of the Royal Family. He was my father's most trusted adviser and the one he consulted with on anything family-related, things he couldn't talk about with the usual advisers. Mom sent Father a questioning glance and opened her mouth as if to say something but just then there was a knock on the door. "Come in," Father called. The door opened and Andrew stepped in, sporting a gray suit and slicked back hair. "Andrew, We have little time," Father said guiding Andrew in with his hand on his back. "Your Majesty, Your Highnesses," Andrew addressed us, slightly bowing his head. "Andrew," Mom said warmly, standing up to embrace him. I knew for a fact that Mom wasn't completely fond of Andrew, but she had never once showed it and always regarded him graciously. The only reason I knew was because once, after a stressful meeting during a harsh winter one year, when many of the lower castes were rioting, she had come out angry and I heard her complaining about him to my father. "Andrew, let's get right to the point, we have a meeting right after this at eight thirty. We all know the current situation-"

"Uh, what situation are we talking about, exactly?" I asked, confused. Father looked at me impatiently. "The selection, Liri," he said sharply, with just a hint of a chuckle. I felt embarrassment and irritation swell inside me and took a deep breath. If Andrew hadn't been there, I would have snapped back at him. "Now that we all know, I want to bring up some situations that might occur and our game plan. There have been many rebel attacks recently, many more than usual, but till now we've made it through with no injured." Andrew nodded and patted down his hair. "Still, they will probably become more frequent as the selection goes on and we have to prepare ourselves. Maxon, if things become too dangerous, we might have to send these girls home." Maxon nodded with a stiff expression. "Do you think it will come to that?" he asked. Andrew piped up. "The rebels aren't happy with all that's happening in the selection. We've heard from some of our agents that they think it is just your way of making it seem like the public has a say in what goes on in this country, when really all your doing is picking the most beautiful "common girl" you can find." I glanced over at Mom to see how she was reacting to this, but she had her eyes on Andrew and was rubbing Father's arm. Nothing out of the ordinary. "It's kind of true, isn't it?" I heard Maxon say softly. I looked at him in surprise. "What?" Father asked. "I mean, the whole point of the selection is to let a commoner into the palace, to let the people think they have the opportunity to enter the Royal Family," Maxon said, raising his hand as if to brush it through his hair and then clasping his hands on his lap. "The whole point of the selection is to find you a wife that will rule beside you, and that's all there is to it." Which we all knew wasn't true. Maxon looked as if he wanted to keep arguing but I guess Andrew noticed this as well because he spoke up. "It doesn't very much matter what the point of it is, that is how they see it."

Father sighed. "In addition, I've sent staff to Clairmont House and also to our house in Italy," he informed us.

"Surely we won't have to leave the country," Mom said, scrunching her eyebrows. "We can't leave the country if there's danger, we have a responsibility."

"_We_ won't. You, Maxon and Liri will leave- if required – and I will stay here," Father said. Mom sent a face at Father. "It's important that you are safe, Amber. Maxon will not be able to begin his ruling on his own, he will need guidance. I need you alive," he said. I glanced over at Maxon. He was rolling his eyes and visibly trying to contain himself. I hated when Father did that. Acting all chivalrous and selfless. If someone did that to me I would leave them. I guess my Mom liked it though, because she was smiling at him. It grossed me out. "The terms of your leaving are still unclear," Andrew said, drawing us back to the topic. "Yes," Father added. "I have suggested that the minute any member of the Royal Family is injured, you will be sent to Clairmont and be taken care of there," Andrew said. "But the King thinks differently." Father cleared his throat. "I don't think it should come to it that any

of us is injured. If we can avoid it, it will be to our advantage."

"What do you suggest then, Clarkson?" Mom asked, dismissing a maid as she came in to clean the room. "This is one of the reasons I assembled us here," he said. As Andrew, Father and Mom debated on the subject, I began to blank out. I was becoming rather hungry, having not yet eaten breakfast, and honestly, it didn't matter much to me. It didn't matter if we moved to Clairmont house or to our house in Italy or stayed here. For me it was all the same. I suddenly realized how bored I was with my life. I had everything, literally, except for something meaningful to do. What was the point of it? In a few months Maxon would be married and he and his wife would take over the ruling. My parents would retire to a much-deserved life of traveling and living by the beach. I would remain here, all alone with nothing to do but eat all day and fatten up. The thought stressed me out and I began to feel a tightness in my chest. The room felt suffocating and hot. "I'm just going to the bathroom," I stammered as I stood up from the chair and rushed out of the room. I could just barely see my father roll his eyes as Mom called out asking if I was alright. I stood outside the room for a few seconds before remembering that the palace was bustling with people and I couldn't be seen in my state by anyone. I had no desire to see anyone, therefore my room was out of the question. I suddenly remembered there was a maid's bathroom down the hall. I prayed no one was there and entered it. Fortunately, it was empty. Out of habit, I immediately looked in the mirror. My pale face blinked back at me, showing no sign of the anxiousness I was feeling inside. Mara had lightly lined my under eyes with pale pink, but it only brought more attention to the pink birthmark under my eye. I would tell her to stop doing that tomorrow. I did a few deep breaths, like Suzie had taught me, even though the tightness had already began to slightly lessen. _It won't be like that,_ I told myself. _Your life has just started. You're going to meet so many people and have so many opportunities. You have the ability to do great things. _I felt my mind relax. _Maybe you'll even meet someone. _For some reason my mind drifted to the selected. I remembered I had promised myself to get closer to them. In my mind I sawthe pretty Asian girl and the model -Celeste, I thought her name was. And also Kriss, the one with the glowing skin. I imagined us in a few years, sitting in the palace gardens, sipping iced tea and laughing. It was a cute picture, one I was sure would hardly come true. This happened to me repeatedly, when I got too attached to people I hardly knew. People that would constantly that probably hardly thought of me at all. It was the the product of growing up without many friends, I guess. I took one last breath and walked out into the hallway. I entered Father's study without knocking, just for the sake of annoying him. Unfortunately, he didn't notice as he thanked Andrew for coming. Or maybe it wasn't unfortunate, because I couldn't deal with his anger at the moment. "Liri, we have a meeting with Jacob in ten minutes," Mom said, as she ushered me out the door. Another artist meeting. I was becoming quite sick of them, really. Maxon had already left, probably to his study, and Father and Andrew had rushed away to their meeting. Only we remained, off to attend a remarkably insignificant meeting, one that would hardly help the country in any way whatsoever. Sometimes I hated being a princess.

I sat in my usual throne by Mom as we waited for the Report to begin. The selected were already in their seats, chatting and creating a hum of noise that immediately died down as the signature music of the Report began and Maxon walked onto the set. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen of Illea. I know that tonight is an exciting night for us all as the country gets to finally hear from the twenty-five remaining women in the selection." I was surprised to see Maxon talk so confidently, as if it was something he usually did. I was sure it was the first time he'd ever addressed the country in such a formal manner. "But before we get to that," Maxon was saying. "I'd like to announce a new project I am working on that is of great importance to me. Having met these ladies, I've been exposed to the wide world outside our palace, a world that I rarely get to see. I've been told of it's remarkable goodness and made aware of it's unimaginable darkness" This caught my attention. I glanced over at Mom. Her face was as calm and serene as it always was on the Report. Had everybody known about this except for me? ''It will be at least three months before we can set this up properly, but around the new year, there will be public assistance for food in every Province Service Office. Any Five, Six, Seven or Eight may go there any evening for a free, nutritious meal." I was amazed. When had Maxon started working on this? I couldn't imagine him thinking of it all on his own. I missed some of what he was saying and snapped my attention back to the set. "I feel that no good leader can let the masses go unfed. Most of Illea is comprised of these lower castes, and we have overlooked these people far too long. That is why I am moving forward and why I am asking others to join me. Twos, Threes, Fours... the roads you drive don't pave themselves. Your houses aren't cleaned by magic. Here is your opportunity to acknowledge that truth by donating at your local Province Services Office." I guess I underestimated him. I always thought he was to be the next leader because of his right as first-born. But now I realized, he was much more fit for the job than I was. I felt a twinge of jealousy. Maxon cared for the people. There was a burst of applause as Maxon said his last words. I joined in, and gave him a small smile as he made eye contact with me. He looked away before he could see it. He sat in his own throne beside Father, and I could just barely hear him whispering something to him. Gavril took the stage and invited the first girl -Celeste- to come down. As the girls laughed with Gavril and discussed my brother, I felt my annoyance with him expand. He had already begun to forget me, with all the attention he was getting. I just felt so useless, so unimportant to anyone but myself.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

I smoothed down my dress as I walked down the stairs to the dining room. A month had passed since the selected had gotten here, and I was pretty used to seeing them at breakfast or in the halls, but I still always felt like I had to look perfect when I was near them. I entered the room and went over to sit at my usual chair. Mom was sitting, chewing on a breadstick and reading the paper. She would never do this if the selected were present, but she knew they weren't due for at least five minutes. It was like this every morning. The Royal Family came in first, or at least whoever was having breakfast that day, and a few minutes later the selected would come in, curtsy, and breakfast would begin. I sat down and picked up a breadstick of my own, knowing perfectly well that Mom would lecture me on my carb intake at any moment. "Liri, you'll stuff yourself with breadsticks before breakfast begins and then you won't have any room for anything nutritious," she reprimanded me. I sent a pointed look at her own breadstick. "Yes, well, I had my spinach and banana shake today while I was in the bath." I made a disgusted face and stuffed the rest of the breadstick in my mouth. Only my mom would voluntarily drink something as disgusting as a spinach and banana shake. Before she could reprimand me again, the door opened and about fifteen girls entered the room and sunk into curtsies. "Good morning, ladies," Mom said as I chewed very quickly and discreetly. Or at least, I tried to.

I entered the women's room alone, because Mom had some meeting with Father she had to attend. Some girls were already reading on the couches or gossiping in groups. Ever since they'd realized that visiting the women's room was voluntary and not an obligation, many of the girls had decided to take the time to rest in their rooms or rather, I don't know, take a stroll in the gardens. Therefore, the women's room was less crowded and I didn't have to endure anymore traumatizing drama. I felt self-conscious without Mom beside me which is why I went to sit by myself near the window, instead of going to talk to one of the girls as I did last week. "Hi Liri," said Natalie, a girl I'd gotten to talking to last Saturday. "Hi Natalie," I said, giving her a small smile. "What are you reading?" she asked, settling at the chair across from me. "Oh, you know, a classic," I replied, showing her the cover. "To Kill a Mockingbird," she read. "I don't know it. Is it good?" I stared at her, astonished. "You don't know it?" I asked. "Um... no," she replied uncertainly. I tried to regain my composure. "Um, it's by Harper Lee, if you know him. My mother, the queen, advised me to read it, but between you and me, it's a bit boring."I don't know why I added the "queen" bit, as if she didn't know who my mom was. Natalie chuckled. "I guess I'll cross it off my reading list," she said. I laughed softly. "Yeah, well, it's important for my education or something." I rolled my eyes so that she would see I was kidding. Natalie smiled pityingly and got up from her chair. "Well, I don't want to stop you from enriching your education," she said and turned away. I watched as she walked up to a dark-skinned girl with wavy black hair and sat down with her, her arm on the girl's shoulder. The girl smiled and raised her eyebrows in surprise at something Natalie said. I picked up my book and studied the cover for a moment. _What do they teach them at school? _I asked myself. Or maybe it was just Natalie that wasn't very knowledged.

We were only a few at lunch, though I had no idea where everybody was. Almost half of the girls were missing, and Maxon, Mom and Father were all at some urgent meeting. I decided against sitting at my usual seat and instead sat in the selected's part of the table. A few girls were sitting in pairs or small groups, and some were alone like me. I was feeling a bit annoyed as I usually did when I was left out of a meeting. Eating helped, especially because it was Maxon's favorite meal, four cheese lasagna with mushrooms. I heard someone scrape back a chair and saw Kriss take a seat next to me. "God, I hate mushrooms," she said. "I love mushrooms," I replied, smiling brightly. She cut herself a piece and poured herself some lemon water. Her long bangs fell into her eyes and she tucked them behind her ears. They peeked out just below her earlobe. "Hey,why weren't you in the women's room this morning?" I asked, hoping I didn't sound accusing. "I, uh, decided to take a day to myself and just relax," she replied. "But then I realized the idea of lying in bed with a face mask on sounded better than it felt and I came down to eat."

"Well, I can certainly relate to that," I said, watching as she carefully picked the mushrooms out of her lasagna. She could sense I was watching her and looked at me from the corner of her eyes. She gave a sheepish smile and we both laughed. "Here, take mine," she said, piling them on my plate. "Gladly," I replied, popping one in my mouth and smiling at her disgusted expression. There was something about Kriss that made her funny without trying. My plate was lying empty on the table, but it seemed rude to leave now."We went to see a movie in the theater. It was really nice, actually," I heard a girl across the room inform her two friends. "What movie did you watch?" one of them asked. "Oh, I wasn't paying attention," the first one laughed. Kriss turned to me. "There's a movie theater here?" she asked. "Yeah. We even have a popcorn machine," I boasted. "I've never seen a movie," she said. It sounded almost like a hint. "You've never seen a movie? How come?"

"I don't know, there were always other things to do."

"Let's go watch one now," I said. I hoped she didn't think I was weird for asking. "Can we?" she asked. "Sure," I replied. She rose from her chair and looked at me expectantly. "You can finish your lasagna, we're in no rush," I said, amused. "Gotta save room for popcorn. If I'm watching a movie, I want to go through the whole experience." I joined her and we left the dining room. As I guided us to the theater, I felt pride fill my chest. I was taking action and nearing my goal. It felt good to be doing something for myself.

Kriss wanted to watch a boring action movie, despite my warnings that they're not as exciting as the trailers make them seem. I tried my best to pay attention, so that later we would have something to talk about, yet the second I realized I still didn't know the girlfriend's name and it was the second half of the movie, I gave up and resumed my challenge of chewing one popcorn at least fifteen times. Finally, the movie was over and we exited the theater. "That Ryan guy was kind of a jerk, and it made no sense that he won the car race with a broken arm," Kriss was saying, as I threw the popcorn bucket in the trash. "Yeah, absolutely," I replied. "You were right, that movie was kinda trash," she said. "Yeah well, next time you should let me pick the movie."

"What do you like to watch? My standards are high," she challenged me. I knew I had a meeting in twenty minutes, and Mom liked us to arrive early and arrange the space beforehand, yet I didn't want to end our conversation. "Ha. I could see that judging by your choice today."

"Cut me some slack, it was my first time." I raised an eyebrow at her. "You were disappointing, but I suppose I can give you another chance."

"Why, thank you, Princess," she smirked. "Well, I've got a meeting," I said, rather awkwardly. I wasn't great at goodbyes. "See you at dinner," Kriss replied.


End file.
